The 2026-27 Kentucky Basketball schedule is nearing completion, and the final regular-season game being added to the slate is against another team we’ve got some familiarity with: The Wichita State Shockers.
On Thursday morning, Rocco Miller reported that the two schools would have an agreement for the Shockers to make the trip to Rupp Arena to play the Wildcats.
NEWS: Kentucky and Wichita State are finalizing an agreement to play this season at Rupp Arena, per multiple sources.
— Rocco Miller (@RoccoMiller8) August 13, 2026
The game will be the first regular-season meeting between the Wildcats and Shockers. The two squads had epic NCAAT 2nd Round battles in 2014 & 2017.#SEC#AAC
This will be the first time the two schools have faced off in the regular season, after meeting twice in the NCAA tournament in 2014 and 2017.
Kentucky and Wichita State delivered an absolute classic when they met in 2014, and the 8-seed Wildcats knocked off the undefeated 1-seed Shockers, who were looking to make history. Wichita State came into the matchup with a 35-0 record before losing its first game of the season in the round of 32 to John Calipari’s young Kentucky team, starring Julius Randle, the Harrison twins, James Young, and others. That win for Kentucky was the start of a special, against-the-odds tournament run.
A few years later, Kentucky found itself facing off against Wichita State again in the same spot in the tournament, the round of 32. This time, it was a team with a star-studded trio: De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, and Bam Adebayo. The 2017 face-off between the two resulted in another Kentucky win, this time as the 2-seed Wildcats knocked off the 10-seed Shockers, 65-62.
Wichita State was coached by Gregg Marshall during those runs back in the day, but has been without him for six years. Now, their coach is Paul Mills, who is headed into his fourth season at the helm and looks to bring his team into Rupp Arena and give Kentucky a challenge. In his time, they haven’t made the NCAA tournament yet, but have appeared in the NIT over the last couple of years. The Shockers have improved year after year under Mills, going 15-19 in his first year, 19-15 in his second season, and 24-12 last year.
There isn’t a set date yet, but there is a gap on the schedule during Thanksgiving week that feels like it could be the spot this game gets slotted.
Now we can add Wichita State to the non-conference slate with the teams below!
- Little Rock (EXH) on Friday, October 16 (Rupp Arena)
- Manhattan on Tuesday, November 3 (Rupp Arena)
- James Madison on Friday, November 6 (Rupp Arena)
- Kansas on Tuesday, November 10 in Chicago (Champions Classic/United Center)
- Northern Arizona on Friday, November 13 (Rupp Arena)
- Grambling State on Monday, November 16 (Rupp Arena)
- Indiana on Friday, November 20 in Indianapolis (Lucas Oil Stadium)
- Virginia on Wednesday, December 2 in Charlottesville (ACC/SEC Challenge/John Paul Jones Arena)
- Appalachian State on Saturday, December 5 (Rupp Arena)
- Bryant on Tuesday, December 8 (Rupp Arena)
- Louisville on Saturday, December 12 (Rupp Arena)
- North Carolina on Saturday, December 19 in New York City (CBS Sports Classic/Madison Square Garden)
- Sacred Heart on Tuesday, December 22 (Rupp Arena)
- Gardner-Webb on December 28 (Rupp Arena)